Have you ever wondered what the incredibly intelligent and captivating octopus eats beneath the waves? If you’ve been fascinated by these creatures, the question “What do octopuses eat?” is likely to have crossed your mind. Today, we’ll dive deep into the fascinating world of octopus diets, exploring their favorite foods and the ingenious ways they procure their meals. Get ready to discover the diverse and sometimes surprising culinary habits of these remarkable marine invertebrates.
Just like us, every animal needs to eat to survive, but the methods and menus vary wildly across the animal kingdom. While humans might order in and await gourmet meals delivered to their door, octopuses operate in a different realm entirely. They don’t have the luxury of underwater food delivery services (as far as we know!). Regardless of their species, every octopus must actively hunt, capture, and prepare their food each time hunger strikes. This makes them true culinary artists of the ocean, or as we like to call them, “Octo Chefs”.
Octopus Diet: Exploring What’s on the Menu
So, let’s get to the heart of the matter: what exactly is Octopus Food? Octopuses are known for their broad palates; they’re not typically fussy eaters. In essence, the ocean is their all-you-can-eat seafood buffet! Their diet is incredibly varied, encompassing a wide range of marine life. Common items on an octopus’s menu include:
- Fish: A significant part of their protein intake.
- Snails: Both sea snails and other types of snails are readily consumed.
- Crabs: A crustacean favorite, often sought after.
- Clams: Bivalves that require some skillful opening techniques.
- Mussels: Another popular shellfish choice.
- Lobsters: Larger crustaceans that provide a substantial meal.
- Shrimp: Smaller crustaceans, easier to catch and consume.
- Squid: Surprisingly, they sometimes eat their cephalopod cousins.
- Other Octopuses: Cannibalism isn’t unheard of in the octopus world.
- Even the occasional shark: Larger octopus species have been known to prey on smaller sharks!
This extensive list demonstrates the opportunistic feeding habits of octopuses. However, what constitutes “octopus food” is significantly influenced by their size and the environment they inhabit.
The Impact of Octopus Size and Habitat on Their Food Choices
Consider the Atlantic Pygmy Octopus (Octopus joubini), a tiny species measuring only about 4 cm (1.5 inches). Its diet is drastically different from that of the Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), which can reach a staggering 70.7 kg (156 pounds) with an arm span of 3-5 meters (9-16 feet). Smaller octopuses like the pygmy octopus aren’t equipped to hunt large prey like dogfish sharks or even birds, which have occasionally been targeted by their larger relatives. Instead, their octopus food primarily consists of:
- Smaller clams: Easier for them to manage and open.
- Crustaceans: Small shrimp and similar creatures.
- Marine snails: Appropriate size for their small stature.
Newly hatched octopus babies, minuscule in size (no larger than a flea), have an even more restricted diet, mainly feeding on plankton – microscopic animal and plant organisms drifting in the water.
🐙 Octopus Fun Fact
A comprehensive study on cephalopod diets revealed that crustaceans are a universal favorite among octopuses, cuttlefish, and squid, consistently found in their stomachs!
Habitat also plays a crucial role in determining octopus food. The Dumbo Octopus (Grimpoteuthis sp.), inhabiting the extreme depths of the ocean, has a diet tailored to its environment:
- Worms: Found in the deep-sea sediments.
- Snails: Deep-sea varieties.
- Copepods: Tiny crustaceans abundant in deep waters.
- Isopods: Another type of deep-sea crustacean.
These deep-sea octopuses are generally foragers, consuming whatever food sources are available in their nutrient-scarce environment. Conversely, the Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris), residing in vibrant, food-rich reefs, can be more selective, actively searching for their preferred meal in a bustling underwater ecosystem.
Interestingly, there’s one food group notably absent from the octopus diet: vegetables. They are carnivores through and through!
Octopus Hunting Techniques: How Do They Catch Their Food?
As twilight descends, most octopuses embark on their nightly foraging expeditions, seeking out a tasty meal. Equipped with incredibly sensitive suckers, eight versatile arms, and the ability to squeeze through spaces as small as their beak, very little stands between a hungry octopus and its desired dinner.
Octopuses employ a variety of hunting strategies, including:
- Ambushing: Lying in wait and striking suddenly.
- Luring: Using displays or movements to attract prey.
- Stalking: Slowly and stealthily approaching their target.
- Pursuing: Actively chasing after faster-moving prey.
- Hunting in disguise: Camouflaging themselves to blend into the environment.
The Common Octopus has even been observed utilizing its ink as a tool to confuse and disorient prey before launching an attack. Octopus species in shallow reefs also rely on their excellent eyesight to locate prey, initiating a swift and decisive attack once they’ve locked onto their target, ensnaring it within their web of arms and suckers.
The Power of Suckers in Food Detection
An octopus’s suckers are not just for gripping; they are sophisticated sensory organs. They allow the octopus to differentiate between textures and shapes and even “taste” through touch. With over 10,000 chemoreceptor cells on each sucker, octopuses can explore their surroundings, probing into crevices and under rocks to detect potential octopus food. This means by the time an octopus brings something to its mouth, it has already determined its suitability as a meal!
Once prey is secured within its arms, the octopus begins the process of preparing it for consumption.
🐙 Octopus Fun Fact
Want to witness an octopus’s hunting prowess firsthand? Check out videos showcasing octopuses capturing and eating crabs and mantis shrimp – it’s a fascinating display of their skills!
Octo Chef: Culinary Tools of the Underwater World
When it comes to culinary expertise in the ocean, the “Octo Chef” is in a league of its own. While they only prepare meals for themselves, their mouths are equipped with a remarkable set of tools for crafting the perfect feast. Let’s explore the essential components of an Octo Chef’s toolkit.
The Octopus Beak: Nature’s Sharp Knife
Just as a chef needs a knife, an octopus needs its beak. This beak, resembling that of a parrot, is crucial for cutting flesh and breaking open the shells of clams and other shellfish, which are initially pried apart using their strong arms.
🐙 Octopus Fun Fact
Octopuses have an underbite! When their mouth is closed, the upper beak neatly fits inside the lower beak.
The Radula: A Tongue with Teeth
Another essential tool in the Octo Chef’s kit is the radula. This tongue-like organ is covered in rows of tiny teeth, used to rasp and scrape meat, particularly for slurping clams and mussels out of their shells once they’ve been cracked open by the beak. These teeth move back and forth on the muscular tongue, erecting as they reach the tip to effectively cut pieces of prey.
By: Sally Parker / Smithsonian Institution
🐙 Octopus Fun Fact
Amazingly, you can estimate the size and approximate age of an octopus simply by examining its radula! The length, width, and number of teeth on the radula are correlated with an octopus’s body weight.
Salivary Papilla: Drilling and Toxin Delivery
Completing the octopus’s gastronomic toolkit is the salivary papilla, another tooth-covered organ located just below the radula. When an octopus encounters a particularly stubborn clam that resists being opened by brute force, it employs the salivary papilla. This organ is used to drill through the hard shells of clams and crustaceans. Depending on the shell’s thickness, this drilling process can take hours – a testament to the octopus’s persistence! Once through, they release a toxic saliva cocktail that paralyzes the prey and causes the muscle holding the shell shut to relax. This is nature’s equivalent of using a kitchen drill followed by a meat tenderizer!
🐙 Octopus Fun Fact
Chelsea Bennice, OctoNation’s lead researcher, observed that octopus drill holes are typically located near the adductor muscle of a clam – highlighting their incredible precision in targeting the most effective drilling spot!
The reason for all this elaborate food preparation – smashing, crushing, and paralyzing prey – is quite anatomical. An octopus’s food must travel down the esophagus, which passes directly through their donut-shaped brain, before reaching the stomach. This unique design necessitates that all octopus food be thoroughly processed and, crucially, dead before ingestion.
Conclusion: The Diverse World of Octopus Food
Octopuses are not only remarkably resourceful hunters but also possess a diverse and adaptable palate when it comes to their diet. Their food choices and hunting strategies are intricately linked to their size, habitat, and the available prey in their environment. From the smallest pygmy octopus to the giant Pacific octopus, and from shallow reefs to the deep ocean, octopus food is as varied and fascinating as the creatures themselves.
To expand your knowledge on cephalopods, explore our comprehensive Octopedia!
Connect with fellow octopus enthusiasts through the OctoNation Facebook group, OctopusFanClub.com! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates on cephalopod conservation, education, and research.
Further Reading:
Corinne Klein
Corinne is a biologist with extensive experience in marine and wildlife biology, holding a Master’s degree in marine science. She has contributed to numerous international marine conservation projects and is passionate about sharing her knowledge of sea creatures. Based in Japan, Corinne currently works in medical research and scientific writing.
